Recent improvements in their spatial and data resolution capabilities have made digital color image processing systems attractive for a number of photoprocessing (e.g. photo-finishing) applications. In still color image photography, for example, once an image (such as that captured on color photographic film or a high resolution color digital camera) has been digitized and stored in an attendant data base, it is readily optimized for reproduction by means of photofinishing image processing software. Such image processing systems also provide for the storage and retrieval of high resolution digitized color still images for application to a variety of reproduction devices. This not only enables the photofinisher to optimize the quality of a color image print, but allows the images on a processed roll of film to be stored in digital format on a compact disc (CD), which may then be delivered to the customer for playback by a CD player and display on a television set.
One such apparatus is described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 582,305, filed Sep. 14, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,455, issued Jun. 8, 1993 entitled "Multiresolution Digital Imagery Photofinishing System, by S. Kristy, assigned to the assignee of the present application and the disclosure of which is herein incorporated. As diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1, such a digitizing apparatus may employ a high resolution opto-electronic film scanner 12, the output of which is coupled to a host digitized image processor (host computer) 14. Scanner 12 typically contains a very high resolution sensor pixel array (a 3072.times.2048 pixel matrix) capable of generating high spatial density-representative output signals which, when converted into digital format, yield `digitized` photographic image files from which high quality color prints may be obtained. Scanner 12 is arranged to be optically coupled with a photographic recording medium, such as a consumer-supplied 35 mm color film strip 16. Film strip 16 contains a plurality (e.g. a set of twenty- four or thirty-six) 36 mm.times.24 mm color image frames. For each scanned image frame, high resolution scanner 12 outputs digitally encoded data, representative of the opto-electronic response of its high resolution imaging sensor pixel array, onto which a respective photographic image frame of film strip 16 is projected by the scanner's input lens system.
This digitally encoded data, or `digitized` image, is supplied in the form of an imaging pixel array- representative bit map, resolved to a prescribed code width (e.g. eight bits per color per pixel), to a host processor 14. Host processor 14 contains an image encoding and storage operator through which each high resolution digitized image file is stored, preferably in a multiresolution, hierarchical format, in order to facilitate retrieval of the digitized images for reproduction by a variety of devices the resolution of which may vary from device to device, such as a low/moderate NTSC television monitor or a very high resolution, digitally driven, color thermal printer. The spatial parameters of each of the hierarchical image files into which an original 2K pixel.times.3K pixel digitized image file is encoded and stored are chosen to facilitate the implementation and incorporation of a low cost, reduced complexity frame store/data retrieval architecture into a variety of reproduction devices, thereby providing for rapid call-up and output (display or print out) of one or more selected images.
In addition to using such improved photofinishing equipment to process current day images, such as capturing original color images in digital format by way of a high resolution digitizing color camera, or scanning a roll of color negative film, there is also the demand for using such digital image processing capability to convert `old` photographs, such as dated photoprints that have been `kept in a shoebox`, into digital format for CD storage, thereby allowing a customer to store and catalog the images on such prints for subsequent television viewing.
To meet this need, co-pending application Ser. No. 762,323, filed Sep. 16, 1991, entitled "Dual Imaging Station Scanner", assigned to the assignee of the present application and the disclosure of which is herein incorporated, describes a digitizing scanner apparatus which has the ability to automatically digitize a plurality of photoprint images which the customer brings to the photofinisher in a loosely arrayed pile or mounted in a photo-album binder, thereby allowing a photofinisher to rapidly process any number of pictures supplied by the customer, irrespective of the condition or form in which the photoprints are supplied.
More particularly, FIGS. 2 and 3 diagrammatically show such a dual imaging station photoprint scanner 10 as comprising a housing or cabinet 11 having an upper or topside placement/album imaging station 13 and a lower, magazine-fed platen imaging station 15. Upper imaging station 13 comprises a transparent (e.g. glass) plate 21 upon which a sheet of photographic recording material, such as a photoprint, 23 may be placed in a face-down position. Adjacent to top plate 21, the cabinet has a sloped support surface 25, thereby providing, in cooperation with the top plate, a broad area surface for supporting a large item, such as a photo album (shown diagrammatically in broken lines 27 in its open, face-down condition), so that a page of the photo album may be easily placed in direct imaging-abutment with top plate 21. A first imaging station illuminator 29 utilizing four cylindrical fluorescent lamps arranged in a rectangular configuration and directed to illuminate photoalbum 27, is located beneath top plate 21.
A lower portion of cabinet 21 retains a platen feed mechanism 30, which is operative to withdraw and translate a photographic print support platen from a first supply magazine 32 to platen imaging station 15, and then feed the platen from the platen imaging station to a second take up storage magazine 34. For this purpose, platen feed mechanism comprises a first set of controllably driven pinch rollers 41 located between magazine 32 and platen imaging station 15, and a second set of controllably driven pinch rollers 43 located between platen imaging station 15 and magazine 34. A controllably stepped drive motor 45 is coupled to rollers 41 and 43 by means of a conventional puller/drive belt arrangement, not shown, and is controllably driven by a system microcontroller to rotate the pinch rollers and thereby sequentially extract a platen from a bottom slot 33 of supply magazine 32, translate an extracted platen to imaging station 15 and then translate the platen from imaging station 15 to a lower entry slot 35 of take up storage magazine 34. A second image station illuminator 36, also utilizing four cylindrical fluorescent lamps arranged in a rectangular configuration and directed to illuminate imaging station 15, is located above imaging station 15.
A multi-directional image projection mechanism 50 is supported within housing 11 between upper and lower imaging stations 13 and 15, respectively, and is operable to selectively project one of an image recorded on a sheet of photographic recording material 23 that has been placed face down on top plate 21, is mounted in a photo album 27 that has been placed face down on top plate 21, or an image on a photoprint that has been secured to a platen, shown diagrammatically at 40, fed by platen feed mechanism 30 to lower imaging station 15.
Scanner 10 also contains an opto-electronic conversion device 60 supported within housing 11 at an image projection plane 62 of multi-directional image projection mechanism 50. A digital imagery data recording mechanism 64 is coupled to photo-responsive conversion device 60, and is operative to record, on a digital data storage medium, such as a compact disc, a digitized image that has been projected on the photo-responsive conversion device by the multi-directional image projection mechanism.
Multi-directional image projection mechanism 50 comprises an adjustable image magnification device, such as an adjustable focal length, adjustable focus, zoom lens 52, which is operative to controllably vary the size of the image projected onto the photo-responsive conversion device. The image projection mechanism also includes a first, controllably rotatable mirror 54 disposed between top plate 21 and platen imaging station 15, and a second, fixed mirror 56 disposed in a projection path 58 between rotatable mirror 54 and photo conversion device 60.